Microsoft has been planning to redesign its SkyDrive web interface this summer, and now the company has officially taken the wraps off a refined SkyDrive.com. Additionally, Microsoft also announced more efficient Windows and OS X SkyDrive integration as well as a new Android app that'll be available within the next few weeks.
As we saw late last month, SkyDrive.com now supports a new tile-based interface that visually matches the visual style Microsoft has been pushing since Windows Phone 7. There are also new "instant search" features that appear to function more like desktop-bases searches with results dynamically updating; other features include a contextual toolbar that holds the most commonly used actions, multiple select and drag and drop, and improved sorting options.
As for syncing with the Windows Desktop and OS X, efficiency has been improved in a few key areas based on user feedback: photo upload speeds have been improved, and the "looking for changes" state (when SkyDrive analyzes your files to see what needs to be synced) is also quite a bit faster than before. Microsoft says that users milage may vary, so unfortunately you can't assume you'll see any major improvements. The new apps should be rolling out this week.
Lastly, Microsoft announced that an Android SkyDrive app would be launching sometime in the next few weeks. There weren't a ton of details on the app itself, though Microsoft noted that it'll be "similar" to the existing Windows Phone and iOS options. Specifically, users will be able to browse, upload and share files, open SkyDrive files from other apps, and upload and save files from other apps to SkyDrive. Microsoft's service certainly has a lot of competition, but these new updates sound like they'll make it a more competitive offering.
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